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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25117927">like two snipe peas in a pod</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_piggy/pseuds/green_piggy'>green_piggy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>BRO THEY ARE FAMILY, Character Study, Found Family, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Transphobia, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, and brighid mòrag poppi all feature prominently, but not enough to justify a tag, if i could repeat the found family tag 100000 times i would, the T rating is only bc nia and zeke would constantly say fuck were it not for video game ratings, the entire gang feature, this fic is just [hands you a headcanon] [hands you a headcanon] [hands you a</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:40:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,650</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25117927</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_piggy/pseuds/green_piggy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a short vacation at Leftheria’s beaches is suggested, Nia only has one small problem; she doesn’t have a suitable outfit.</p>
<p>Enter the great Zeke von Genbu, who claims to have the perfect solution.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nia &amp; Zeke von Genbu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>like two snipe peas in a pod</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is an au because it doesn’t fit anywhere within the story but :crab: I DO NOT CARE! CANON IS DEAD!<br/>also they haven't been to the challenge area or met the nopon archsage yet he's off living his best life. what a funky dude<br/>HOPE Y’ALL LIKE FOUND FAMILY. i have no idea how this is 8k i'm so sorry</p>
<p>anyway to be serious for a sec: i've been working on this baby for two months and have fallen back tits first into xeno 2 hell (i have like fifteen xeno 2 fic wips please save me) after having played the xeno 1 remaster, which i do not think was the intended effect, but here we are! xeno 2 is legit one of my all time fave games. it's so very very wonderful. i adore all of the characters. it's the [clenches fist] <i>found family...</i> but i digress</p>
<p>basically i've spent a lot of time on this and had a lot of fun writing this - hope you enjoy reading this as much as i did writing it!! &lt;3 (i live in britain, unfortunately, so i gleefully took the chance to go full british for this fic)<br/>(fun drinking game for this fic: take a sip every time found family is mentioned. i love it so much. i will never change)</p>
<p>fancy background music while reading? <a href="https://youtu.be/cn0KhUBW-t0">here's fonsa myma - night,</a> which i had on pretty much the entire time i was writing this</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“A trip to </span>
  <em>
    <span>where </span>
  </em>
  <span>now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Pyra was discouraged by Nia’s disbelieving tone, she didn’t show it. Hands folded over one another atop the table, a cup of steaming tea nearby, her kind smile didn’t waver. “A day off would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonderful, </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t you think? We’ve been running ourselves ragged.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one more than you!” Rex injected, tripping over his own words. “And, uh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>of you guys, of course!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tora think that vacation is great idea!” piped the Nopon himself, fuzzy paw stuck up as high as he could get it. It didn’t even reach Poppi’s shoulder, who was perched next to him, cross-legged on one of Anastatia’s many rotting stools.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Masterpon treat every day as vacation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tora almost toppled over. “Meh meh </span>
  <em>
    <span>meh!?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I must agree with Pyra,” Brighid said. She was heating up Mòrag’s cup of coffee with her hand, blue flames licking the underside of the cup. Their hands lingered on one another when Brighid handed her the cup. Mòrag gave a soft smile that Nia had a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t meant to have seen. That wasn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>mentioning </span>
  </em>
  <span>the fact that Mòrag drank coffee to </span>
  <em>
    <span>relax, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and didn’t have a single sip unless it was literally forming bubbles from how boiled it was. Ardainians </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>didn’t have any taste buds. “Lady Mòrag and I have swimsuits prepared, of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mòrag paused mid-sip. “Er. We do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’d be poor form if I </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...I see.” Mòrag was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>blushing a little as she went back to her coffee. “Thank you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brighid beamed. Well, as much as she ever did smile about anything, which was a miniscule twist of her mouth; </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe </span>
  </em>
  <span>in an upwards direction if she was feeling particularly nice. Nia didn’t exactly stare at her lips, even if she clearly put a lot of work into them and they really did look quite lovely, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nia was stopping that train of thought right there.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That sounds like a </span>
  <em>
    <span>marvelous </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea," Azurda said from where he was curled up on the stool next to Rex. "It's been a long while since I've last splashed in the water, ho ho!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d love a vacation!” Pandoria cheered, throwing her hands in the air. “I may not be as good-looking as Pyra or Brighid, but I’m still cute as heck!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, don’t say that,” Nia teased. “You’re plenty pretty, Pandoria.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, jeez!” Pandoria beamed. The lightbulbs on her shoulders brightened as well. “Thanks, Nia! You’re kinda cute too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“...Kinda?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're just so—" Pandoria wobbled her palm out in front of her— </span>
  <em>
    <span>"small. Miniature.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I could pick you up in my hand!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oi, you're only a </span>
  <em>
    <span>few </span>
  </em>
  <span>inches inches taller—"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A</span>
  <em>
    <span>-hem,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>came Mòrag’s stern voice. Nia clamped her mouth shut. A hush fell over them as they all turned to face Mòrag.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A vacation to Leftheria’s shores, is it?” Mòrag cupped her hands around her cup, which was still boiling and hacking out bubbles, as if the cup itself was pleading for a mercy that would never be granted. “There are a few excellent isles within short distance of Rigitte Harbour. Merclibay Islet, for one, or the Little Garden of Tradition. Both of those places are rather lovely.” A dreamy look set in her eyes. “A day in the sun, away from any responsibilities or duties…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh,” Rex called, “Mòrag?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can decide on the exact location</span>
  <em>
    <span> tomorrow,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Brighid said smoothly. She gave them all a fond look; not quite a smile, but definitely not her usual frown. “Tomorrow, we’ll perform any mandatory missions and requests, but the day after that? We can set out for our little vacation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a chorus of cheers from Rex, Poppi, Tora, and Pandoria. Nia scoffed, resting her chin in her hand, but she couldn’t help her smile. They were all such lovable idiots, damn it. She’d somehow ended up with the strangest family possible, and she’d fight tooth and claw if anyone dared to try to take any of them away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the same time, though, dread churned in her stomach. Hearing them all excitedly talk about their beach outfits was an acute reminder that she didn’t own any. How </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>she, when, even before becoming a Flesh Eater, she’d been on the run with her first family? And it wasn’t like living in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Echell </span>
  </em>
  <span>ever gave rise to any opportunities for a day out at the beach. Did Gormott even </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>any beaches? She doubted it, and it wasn’t like she’d ever been to anywhere in Gormott apart from there and Torigoth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How the hell was she going to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>kind of seaside clothing for two days’ time? Especially in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tantal? </span>
  </em>
  <span>None of them had probably ever seen a pond in their lives, much less the seaside! (And, no, those pathetic little bodies of water that barely came up to Nia’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>ankles </span>
  </em>
  <span>in Theosoir did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>count).</span>
</p>
<p><span>None of that was even considering that… well. She hadn’t always been seen as a lady, even though that was what she’d always been. She tugged at her jumpsuit over where her Core Crystal rested. As much as she loved her outfit as a Flesh Eater, loved the freedom</span> <span>of being </span><em><span>herself, </span></em><span>everyone else be damned, Tantal was way too cold to be wearing anything like that, even with Dromarch’s cosy body near hers. And she </span><em><span>could </span></em><span>wear that outfit at the beach… but nah. It wouldn't be the same.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Speaking of Dromarch, he was looking up at her from where he was lying down next to her, his head atop his paws. “My lady…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be fine,” she whispered. “I’ll figure </span>
  <em>
    <span>somethin’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>out. Ain’t no point ruining it for the rest of ‘em.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dromarch hummed. “If you say so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia sighed. “...Yeah. Thanks, though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled at her, eyes wrinkling. She gave the back of his ears a good scratch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice Zeke’s single eye scrutinising her, unusually serious, sat away from the rest of the group in the seat next to the stairs.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Nia’s waking up went the same as it did most days; the covers were snatched away from her by a snoring Mythra, her arm squeezed tight enough around Nia’s side to bruise. Turters was snoozing in the crook between her shoulder and neck, and, for a tiny turtle, he sure did </span>
  <em>
    <span>snore. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sighing, but more than a little fondly, Nia plucked Turters between her fingers. She gently wiggled Mythra’s clinging arm away, replacing herself with a pillow that Mythra gripped with a dreamy sigh. For all of her attitude and aloofness, she really was adorable when sleeping.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Smiling to herself, Turters still in hand, Nia rolled over—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, chum!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—and screamed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Keep it down, bloody hell!” Zeke’s large hand clamped over her mouth. Nia went through far too many emotions in that second - disgust, horror, embarrassment, the overwhelming urge to bite his stupid fingers - but kept quiet. Satisfied, Zeke took his hand away. He gently wiggled Turters into his other hand, noozling the turtle’s head with his nose before tucking him away into one of his many coat pockets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mythra’s sheer power was rivalled by very few things; thankfully, one of those was her ability to sleep through anything and everything. She blissfully continued to snore away, the covers snared around her, clutching Nia’s pillow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Keep it down’?” Nia hissed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“‘Keep it down’? </span>
  </em>
  <span>You’re in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>women’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>room, Shellhead!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And?” He stepped back as Nia swung her legs out of the bed. “Only you and Mythra in here. Everyone else’s been up for ages.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>that,” she grumbled, despite having not known that at all. It was odd that everyone else was already up. She’d probably exhausted herself from all the damn </span>
  <em>
    <span>worrying </span>
  </em>
  <span>she did last night over a trip that was meant to be anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>but </span>
  </em>
  <span>stressful. She threw herself onto her feet and smoothed out the countless wrinkles in her jumpsuit. “But it’s still - you can’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>come </span>
  </em>
  <span>in here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna </span>
  <em>
    <span>strangle </span>
  </em>
  <span>ya, one of these days,” Nia swore. She grabbed her knives from the bedside table and strapped them to her waist. While she got to work on pulling her boots on, Zeke apparently decided that it’d be the perfect moment to do squats. Because why bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>not?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>you doin’? Can’t ye wait outside?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>waiting for you.” Zeke pushed down on one thigh, legs stretched so wide that they spanned longer than the bed - and he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>higher than Nia was sitting down. He wasn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>tall. Nia was just… average height.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, that was definitely it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia paused, her second boot hovering in mid-air. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Eh?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just… trust me okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia snorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Nia, I mean it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The usage of her actual name made her pause almost as much as the solemness on his face did. For once, he didn’t seem to be joking around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Tell me what it is.” She pulled on her boot and stomped it against the ground, grinning. “Over </span>
  <em>
    <span>breakfast. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And you’re payin’!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So many demands!” He rested a hand over his chest, acting wounded, but opened the door and let her leave first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure enough, some of their little group were around the table. Dromarch, Rex, Pandoria, Tora, and Azurda were all nowhere in sight, but Poppi beamed and waved at them with an enthusiasm that would have popped out the shoulder socket of a human. Mòrag just grunted, head almost dipped in another cup of coffee, while Brighid was munching on a plate of Thawing Mille-Feuilles. As Nia flopped in the seat next to her while Zeke went towards the bar, Brighid slid the plate towards her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You must be in a good mood,” Nia pitched one of the snacks, sugar caking her fingertips. She hadn’t put on her gloves. “Thanks, Brighid. I know how much ya love these.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think nothing of it.” Brighid pulled the plate back. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> smiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can Poppi have another?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yay!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hgh,” Mòrag grunted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She didn’t sleep well last night, forgive her.” Brighid dumped a couple of Thawing Mille-Feuilles onto Mòrag’s plate, who yanked it towards herself with nary a noise. A single, sad-looking slice lingered on Brighid’s own plate.</span>
</p>
<p><span>“Eh, it’s fine.” Nia waved her hand. “I didn’t either. ‘Sides, we’ve known each other for </span><em><span>months</span></em><span> now.</span> <span>I know she ain’t a morning person.”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“True enough.” Brighid took a long sip of her tea, her gaze sliding towards the bar. “I take it Zeke was responsible for your scream?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You heard that, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suspect even a Nopon in Argentum could have heard it. You rather startled everyone here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-sorry.” Nia ripped her snack in half and munched on a piece. “I rolled over and he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>there! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He’s actin’ even weirder than normal. I didn’t think that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>possible.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, this place is rather complicated for him, is it not?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t think that’s it…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ahoy, comrades!” Zeke called, wobbling towards them with several plates balanced on his arms. Nia jumped up for when he inevitably tripped, but, </span>
  <em>
    <span>somehow, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he made it to the table without incident. “For furry ears—” A plate teeming with Bagna Oyster Rolls, the smell and appearance enough to make her mouth water— “and for our dearest Brighid—” Another plate of fresh Thawing Mille-Feuilles, which Brighid took with a surprised noise and quiet thanks— “for everyone’s favourite Flamebringer—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Go to hell Zeke.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not today, chum!” he replied cheerfully, giving her a plate of Steamed Veg Stralus. He turned to Poppi. “I’m, uh, not quite sure if you </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> eat anything, but here ya go!” He handed her the last plate he had, which had a fair few Fondant Rice Cakes on it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poppi clapped her hands together. “Poppi cannot eat, but Poppi appreciate it very much!” She took one with childish wonder and gave a deep sniff. “Smell delicious!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>rice cake, </span>
  </em>
  <span>how does it smell </span>
  <em>
    <span>good?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nia grumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Zeke just threw his head back with a boisterous laugh, his voice booming throughout the inn. A family at the next table over threw them dirty looks. Nia resisted the urge to flip them the bird.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mòrag was devouring her stralus without even taking a breath. Hopefully </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>would wake her up a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t realise the inn provided such a wide range of food items,” Brighid murmured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, they only started doing so recently.” Zeke dragged a stool over as noisily as he possibly could before slumping on it. It squeaked under his weight. “Pointed out to 'em that the few visitors the inn got probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>appreciate having to walk out to the square if they wanted anything non-alcoholic. Although they’re only providing the cheapest items they can, because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course </span>
  </em>
  <span>they are. Why would they do anything else?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He let out a huff through his nose. Nia was somewhat taken back by how </span>
  <em>
    <span>cynical </span>
  </em>
  <span>it sounded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi, Shellhead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Where’s your </span>
  <em>
    <span>own </span>
  </em>
  <span>food?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?” A beat of silence; then Zeke startled and slammed his hands on the table. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“My own food!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ll be right back!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia snorted, rolling her eyes as Zeke scrambled up from his stool and rushed back over to the bar. Brighid let out a noise that might have been laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I hope he never changes."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Me neither." Nia started into her own meal, gleefully cracking her first oyster. "Where's everybody else, eh?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, Tora mentioned some ruins he wanted to check out." Brighid stroked her chin. "And, well. Dromarch is interested in that, as are Rex and Azurda, and I believe Pandoria just wanted some fresh air. They should be back by the time we finish here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Huh." She slurped at the shell. Such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>heavenly </span>
  </em>
  <span>taste. "Good for 'em."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Actually, furry ears, you and I are gonna do our </span>
  <em>
    <span>own </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing today."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Gah!" Nia almost dropped her shell. "Bloody 'ell! When'd </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>get back!?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeke grinned. He didn't have a plate, but instead, there were several Addam's Embercakes crushed in his hand that he began to scoff down with incredible speed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing!?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wiggled his one visible eyebrow. Nia suspected that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying </span>
  </em>
  <span>to wiggle both, but between the eyepatch and the mess he called hair, she sure as hell wasn't seeing the other one. "Why, Nia, I thought I'd told you! Ears too fuzzy to be listening, hmm?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, you-!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatever </span>
  </em>
  <span>it is, I'm sure it'll be fine," Brighid said. "Will you be gone for most of the day?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, probs." Zeke swallowed an entire ambercake in one gulp. Nia's body shivered from head to toe. "We're not doin' anything too strenuous though, right?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Indeed we're not." Brighid pulled out her dairy and flicked to a bookmarked page. "Let's see…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hh," Mòrag groaned. Given the slightly reduced length of it, Nia would take that as a sign that she was slowly waking up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brighid patted Mòrag's hand. "...Finding a missing turtle—” Zeke’s hands zoomed to his pocket before he let out a relieved sigh— “bring that bizarre artisan some more accessories, help out the writer in the inn… nothing too difficult at all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brilliant!” Zeke thudded Nia’s back and almost sent her flying. “Let’s get goin’, then!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold on!” Nia twirled the oyster in her hand and jabbed it in his direction. The creamy flesh within threatened to slide out. “You haven’t explained shit yet! For all I know, you wanna go make a flippin’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>snowman </span>
  </em>
  <span>or some crap like that!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it’s not that!” Zeke beamed, as if </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>was meant to be reassuring.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ugh.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nia dropped her chin into her hand. “You know what? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fine. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Whatever. Let’s just finish eating first, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sufeh thinah!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Are you trying to eat </span>
  <em>
    <span>three </span>
  </em>
  <span>embercakes at once!?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for them to finish; Nia was used to eating quickly, what with how much of her life she’d spent on the run, and Zeke always devoured every meal he had as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. They bid farewell to the others (even Mòrag said goodbye! Granted, it was a tiny handwave, followed immediately by her blinking languishly, but it was development!) and headed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, genius.” Nia was careful not to trip over the wonky flooring or the tiny patches of grass that were pathetically attempting to sprout. For a nation so hellbent on spending all their time in one place, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>would have thought that they’d keep that one place in at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>somewhat </span>
  </em>
  <span>decent condition. All of the Titans were dying, that was true, but none felt it more keenly than Genbu did. At least Mor Ardain had </span>
  <em>
    <span>some </span>
  </em>
  <span>kind of living standards, despite the smog and ever-increasing temperatures. Nobody here seemed to be happy at all; Nia could feel their miserable, jealous glares at their backs as they walked. When she glanced over to Zeke, though, he had his back straight and his face carefully devoid of emotion, so she did the same. “Whatcha draggin’ me out for?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wellllll.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He stretched his arms over his head, not looking directly at her. He’d been doing that all morning; focusing on a spot just past her face, unusually antsy. If he was anyone else, she’d say that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>nervous. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But about</span>
  <em>
    <span> what,</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the real question.  “If I’m wrong, mate, we’ll go right back inside, but you don’t have any kind of clothing for our little upcoming vacation, do you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia froze, almost knocking over an incoming Tantalese. They shot her a dirty look before scuttling off, hands tucked in their poncho’s pockets. “...And what makes ye think </span>
  <em>
    <span>that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>eh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeke crossed his arms. “You’re not the only person who hadda live rough for a long time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess not…” Nia scuffed her boot against the top of the stairs they’d stopped on. “So where you gonna get me some nice outfits, huh? Anywhere in Theosoir sell pretty dresses perfect for a blazin’ summer’s day?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hah! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Absolutely not.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So </span>
  <em>
    <span>what, </span>
  </em>
  <span>then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waving a dismissive hand, he didn’t reply, but continued to walk. Nia grumbled to herself, but trotted to catch up to him, having to almost jog to do so.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“G’morning, Elasine!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning, Your Highness!” the woman chimed in return. Zeke grinned, but Nia didn’t miss how strained it’d suddenly become.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Striding past the deli and aux cores shops, and mimicking Zeke’s waves to them both (but definitely not his greetings), Nia scowled as realisation set in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold up,” she said. “Are we going to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>palace?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah.” Zeke rubbed his nose, still not meeting her face. “I’m even less of a fan of it than you are, chum, </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe </span>
  </em>
  <span>me, but it’s where we can get ya stuff.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like what? Dresses?” Nia narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Does </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pandoria </span>
  </em>
  <span>have stuff in there?” She was only a bit taller than Nia, yeah, but she was definitely skinnier, and that wasn’t even mentioning the </span>
  <em>
    <span>literal lightbulb shoulders. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Could Pandoria wear anything with sleeves? Could she even </span>
  <em>
    <span>go </span>
  </em>
  <span>into water..? She liked fishing, didn’t she? Did she have to precariously balance on the edge of a stream every time she wanted to look at some fish, lest she accidentally electrocute an entire river of them?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>...She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>overthinking this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another hand wave. “Definitely not. Dear Pandy was awakened literally a week before I got kicked out of Tantal. Wouldn’t have had </span>
  <em>
    <span>time </span>
  </em>
  <span>to get her anything. And she’s not into dresses, anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So then..?” Nia blinked, scraping through her mind for </span>
  <em>
    <span>some </span>
  </em>
  <span>kind of explanation. “Your </span>
  <em>
    <span>ma’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>stuff..?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head, eye drifting to the sky. “Never knew my ma, I’m afraid. She died shortly after I was born.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Er…” She laced her fingers together. “Sorry to hear that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to face her with a small smile. “Nah, no need for apologisin’. It’s fine. The old man loves bringin’ her up during particularly bad arguments, but, eh. I’m good at tunin’ him out.” He stretched his arms out dramatically, twisting his body back and forth as they walked. Nia glared at the palace guard as they came to the entrance. Their uniforms  had always creeped her out, especially with the face covers they wore. How did they see? How did they </span>
  <em>
    <span>eat?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It hit Nia, suddenly, that this was as much as Zeke had ever talked about himself. Not that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nia </span>
  </em>
  <span>was somebody to criticise the secretiveness of others, not when her own had cost Architect-knew how many lives, but it was a startling realisation. For all of his boisterous yelling and dramatics, he really didn’t talk about himself at </span>
  <em>
    <span>all.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>....None of them did, really, apart from Rex and his blooming ‘salvager’s code’. Oh, they were all disasters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia waited for Zeke to continue speaking. He didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The royal audience hall came into view, but Zeke took a sharp left instead of continuing straight. Nia continued to plod alongside him, taking special care to throw dirty looks at each and every single one of the guards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They went down one set of stairs, then another, then </span>
  <em>
    <span>another, </span>
  </em>
  <span>then turned left and went down yet </span>
  <em>
    <span>another. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nia caught sight of the room they’d all been captured in upon their arrival in Theosoir, and took more than a little glee in the scorch marks that still remained on the walls from Poppi’s blast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nia,” Zeke called, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“do </span>
  </em>
  <span>stop glaring the guards to death, yeah? They’re just doin’ their jobs.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think ya can </span>
  <em>
    <span>forgive </span>
  </em>
  <span>me for not bein’ their biggest fans,” Nia muttered. She shivered, teeth clattering as a gust of icy wind assaulted her as they went outside. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Brrr!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Enjoying the view?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least my head ain’t directly level with the top of the wall!” Nia sneered. She poked her head through one of the countless tiny square gaps in the wall. “White, white… and </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>white. Ohhh, maybe a pinch of blue, if I squint hard enough!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On her right, Zeke chortled; on her left, a few of the guards were scowling at her, not even attempting to be subtle and definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>doing their pathetic excuse for a job. Nia </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>flip those ones the bird while Zeke was gazing at one of the gigantic ice pillars, gleefully skipping away from them to catch up with Zeke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re headin’ to my old bedroom,” he said as they went back inside and entered the Hall of Plenty. In Nia’s humble opinion, the only thing it had plenty of was a big fat load of </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>used </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be on the same floor as the entrance, but… </span>
  <em>
    <span>well.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He snorted, the sound not kind. “Let’s just say my old man thought movin’ me down a few floors would stop me from being such a pompous arse as a kid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And did it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm…” Nia stroked her chin, pretending to ponder. “I’m gonna take a </span>
  <em>
    <span>wild </span>
  </em>
  <span>guess and say ‘nah’.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeke beamed. “Bingo!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They fell into silence as they continued to walk, footsteps crunching against the snow and harshly hitting the cold stone. The Hall of Virtue’s flames were a welcome warmth, even if Nia was wondering just </span>
  <em>
    <span>how </span>
  </em>
  <span>far the stick had been up somebody’s arse when they’d decided to name these locations. Like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really; </span>
  </em>
  <span>why the heck was the ‘Hall of Reception’ the room specifically designed to prevent the flow of ether? And why did they even </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>such a huge ether accelerator tucked away in the bottom of the palace?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well. Didn’t she have the perfect person to ask next to her?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Zeke.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where the bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘ell </span>
  </em>
  <span>is your bedroom? I never knew a place could have so many stairs!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Great work, brain.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A loud guffaw. “Almost there, furry ears! Just gotta get to the Hall of Honour through the Puresnow Passage.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No wonder you’re so huge. I’d be too, if I hadda haul myself up and down these flippin’ stairs every day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grunted again, but didn’t speak.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They began down what had </span>
  <em>
    <span>better </span>
  </em>
  <span>be the last set of steps. Seeing the ones that led to the ether accelerator room made her stomach flip, but Zeke turned right as soon as they came into the hall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just through here…” he murmured. He greeted the guard at the door, who made neither movement nor noise as Zeke twisted the handle and guided Nia through the opened door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was, like so many of Theosacaldia Palace’s hallways, tremendously long and tremendously bland. Their boots slapping against the stone were the only sound echoing down the endless corridor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...I didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>mean to ask that,” Nia mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm?” Zeke tilted his head towards her. “Then what </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>you mean to ask?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was wonderin’...” Her gaze drifted down, her fingers tapping the tips of one another. “About that ‘Hall of Reception’. And the whole ether accelerator crap. Why does a place like Tantal even </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>that kinda technology?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve always wondered that myself.” Zeke cupped his chin with his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You never tried asking the king?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was careful to make the distinction between ‘king’ and ‘father’. Judging from how Zeke’s face softened, it had been the right thing to do. “Course I did… but. Well. You guys have all seen him. He’d rather crawl up a squood’s arshole than ever admit to being </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong </span>
  </em>
  <span>about anything. Or explain anything to his own bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>kid.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite herself, she snorted. “Yeah, no kiddin’. I barely spent any time in the same </span>
  <em>
    <span>room </span>
  </em>
  <span>as that guy and I wanted to give him what he had comin’. Can’t imagine </span>
  <em>
    <span>growing up </span>
  </em>
  <span>with him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, tell me about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Nia didn’t get the chance to do so, for Zeke stopped at an innocuous looking door, identical to the countless others in the hallway. “Here we are!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Doesn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>look </span>
  </em>
  <span>very princely." Then again, imagining Zeke with any kind of wealth or royal bearing was an impossible image. He was many things, but frivolous definitely wasn't one of them. "...Not that I'm surprised."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He beamed. The door handle squeaked, dwarfed by his hand as he twisted it and pushed it open. "Behold!" He moved into the dusty room with nimble footing and held the door open with a bow. "The childhood bedroom of Tantal's crown prince!" he announced dramatically. "Even though I was disowned from the throne so I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>don't understand why everyone keeps callin' me that!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scoffing (and definitely not smiling), Nia nudged him as she went in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"...Eh."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew that he wasn't exactly keen on his status as royalty, to put it mildly, but even that didn't explain how </span>
  <em>
    <span>drab </span>
  </em>
  <span>the room looked. The four small walls were identical to the guards' quarters, as was the bed shoved in the corner and crates stacked underneath a small window. Ohhhh, he got a </span>
  <em>
    <span>window! </span>
  </em>
  <span>What princely privileges!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She went to the window and stretched on her tip-toes to peer out. Her foot snagged on something—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, I'd forgotten I had that!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia caught herself with a hand on the wall before she could tumble over. "Had </span>
  <em>
    <span>what, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Shellhead!?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned around, and that was when Nia saw it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind the door, tucked in the corner next to the wardrobe, were dozens of little knick-knacks and boxes stamped with numerous sigils, none of them Tantalese. Zeke himself had a ball of Wood-Dye Waistcloth in his hand, having plucked it from where Nia had almost tripped over it. Nia recognised that hue of soft brown, like how a tree trunk looked with the noon sunshine landing on it, from countless different memories.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I..?” She waved a hand towards the boxes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?” Zeke’s eye snapped away from the cloth to her. “Oh, yeah,” he mumbled, sounding distracted. “If you wanna nosey, go on ahead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, she felt like she was intruding on something she shouldn’t have seen, even if she recognised more than a few items in the crates. Naturally, she poked through the crate with the Gormotti sigil first; The Girl on the Hill; Black Flower Field; a Torigonda…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Saying nothing, she pushed herself back to her full height and didn’t touch anything else. “Got a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lotta </span>
  </em>
  <span>stuff ‘ere,” she said, resting a fist on her hip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I always collected little trinkets like these on my journeys." Zeke tossed the Wood-Dye Waistcloth back and forth in his hands, his eye taking on a faraway look. "Things that I wanted to bring back and present to my people. 'Look at how Mor Ardain creates handheld generators!' 'Isn't this cloth from Gormotti really something else?' ‘Got a bunch of scripts from Uraya's playhouse! Did you know they did a play of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Addam </span>
  </em>
  <span>there?'" He let out a heavy sigh. "Things that, of course, my father was </span>
  <em>
    <span>livid </span>
  </em>
  <span>to see me come back with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Huh." Zeke tossed the ball towards her. Nia caught it reflexively. "Ya didn't want 'em for yourself?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, course I did - they're all in my room, aren't they?" He chuckled. "But… I dunno. Even if we couldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>use </span>
  </em>
  <span>other nations' technologies, I still wanted to </span>
  <em>
    <span>inspire </span>
  </em>
  <span>the people, y'know? To write, or to sing, or to create, or - or </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sigh. "They didn't, of course. They all cry and bemoan their fate and don't do a single damn thing to change anything! Just sit on their bloody arses and feel sorry for 'emselves! Is it</span>
  <em>
    <span> any </span>
  </em>
  <span>wonder I buggered off, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really?"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was it really </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad?” Nia whispered. She still felt uneasy. Surely Zeke hadn’t brought her here just to look at his - admittedly impressive - collection of knick-knacks clobbered together from all over Alrest. And seeing him like this was… she never liked it. “I mean, even today, we’re helpin’ out that writer lady. And that guy who was… making hats? I think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess, but…” Zeke stroked his chin, his elbow resting on his crossed arm. “Huh. Maybe I’ve been looking at it a bit too negatively.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, aren’t ya a cheerful guy?” Nia elbowed his side. “Stop bein’ so gloomy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Haha, true enough.” He gave her a grateful smile. “This place brings out the worst in me, I suppose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah, I get it.” Crossing her own arms, Nia sighed. “Going back to Torigoth always brings up memories for me as well… good ones </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad ones.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you and me are like two snipe peas in a pod!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No we are not.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The slap on her back almost dislocated her spine. “But enough of that! I didn’t bring you here for me to mope!” Zeke went over to the wardrobe and threw the door open with great agusto. The door shrieked and almost went flying off. “Behold!” He slammed open the other door. “The great wardrobe of Ozychlyrus Brounev Tantal!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonder </span>
  </em>
  <span>you shortened your name. I would too, if I hadda—” Nia trailed off then, having caught sight of what was in the wardrobe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d been expecting a row of thick, fuzzy jackets and an alarming lack of shirts - and while there </span>
  <em>
    <span>were </span>
  </em>
  <span>jackets, most of the clothing were dresses and skirts. Not just Tantalese, although those seemed to take up the majority, but dresses like the long, heavy robes of the Indoline; the short, bow-lidden, puffed fiery skirts of the typical Ardainian lady, with ribbons and pouch belts hanging over the hangers; dresses and outfits that Nia recognised from her </span>
  <em>
    <span>own </span>
  </em>
  <span>people, the Gormotti’s thin, flowy straight skirts, along with the tucked wrap skirts many of the kids wore. They were all hanging there, alongside the multitude of Tantalese outfits.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind her, Zeke was utterly silent. Nia’s throat constrained, and only continued to do so as she scrambled for words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...These are pretty nice,” she murmured, her hand ghosting a lime green Gormotti skirt. Nia felt, rather than saw, Zeke relax. The tension in the room physically lightened, her shoulders easing and chest loosening. “Guess we’ve got yet another thing in common, eh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chuckling, voice slightly strained, Zeke’s fingers were a tad too tight on Nia’s shoulder for his laugh to be sincere. But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>sound relieved, and there was a sparkle in his eye when she glanced up at him. “Who’d have thought it, chum?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>did, obviously.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hah! Fair enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’d ya get so </span>
  <em>
    <span>many </span>
  </em>
  <span>of ‘em?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same thing as I did with the trinkets.” Zeke leaned forward, hands on his hips, close enough that his arm brushed Nia’s. “You wouldn’t believe it, but I was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>tiniest </span>
  </em>
  <span>kid growin’ up. Maybe even smaller than you are now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grinned and leaned out of the way of her gentle swipe. “I was! Once I was kicked out of Tantal, I shot up like a tree - just ask Pandy. She’ll tell ya how tiny I was.” His face grew solemn. “But… yeah. I always knew I was a guy. Not that dresses mean you’re a girl, or trousers mean you’re a guy, or any crap like that…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? Pretty sure I overheard you telling Mòrag to put on a skirt and heels once, genius.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“E-eh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>well…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He rubbed his neck. “I was only teasin’! It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mòrag!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, ‘ell, she still don't like it, so cut it out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I didn’t realise she </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>hated it.” A sigh. “I’ll cut that drivel out, then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi, don’t go beatin’ yourself up over it.” Nia nudged him. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>get </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, y’know? With… people not realising what you are. When they look at you, or you look at yourself, and it’s just - it’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>right. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You don’t know how it’s wrong - ya just know that it</span>
  <em>
    <span> is,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but you haven’t any soddy clue on how to </span>
  <em>
    <span>make </span>
  </em>
  <span>it right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re not her sister, </span>
  </em>
  <span>her sister’s father used to always tell her. Every day, she’d dressed in suffocating suits and tight ties tangled around her neck. He had loved her, maybe, but… those days had been hard. That constant prickling in her chest, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrongness </span>
  </em>
  <span>when she looked at herself. Becoming a Flesh Eater had, ironically enough, been the most freeing experience of her life. When, with the iron taste of flesh and blood still clinging to her teeth, she’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>changed. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She’d opened her eyes, and she looked - she looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>right. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Like how she had always imagined herself to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had to hide her powers, of course, and that meant her appearance as well. She was in love with her comfy yellow jumpsuit by now, but at first, she’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>loathed </span>
  </em>
  <span>it. How it would itch at her skin and cover every single inch of her. She’d hated </span>
  <em>
    <span>every </span>
  </em>
  <span>part of herself back then, though, but she’d never hated what gender she was. She was who she was, end of, and anyone who didn’t get that could piss off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did ya </span>
  <em>
    <span>know?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nia asked, turning to him with narrowed eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t, really. Just…” Zeke tilted his head with a small hum. “It was an instinct, y’know? I saw you and just - just </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh.” If that had come from somebody else - anybody who </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>understand her, what she’d been through - she would have been more than a little annoyed. As it was, though… all she could feel was relief. Here was somebody else, who’d grown up like she had - seen wrong by the world, scoffed at and dismissed when all they had ever wanted to be was themselves. Nothing more. Nothing less.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was that really asking for too much? To live in a world where you could be </span>
  <em>
    <span>you?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But… yeah.” Zeke crossed his arms. “I didn’t grow up as a ‘prince’. Funny enough, though, when I eventually got the guts to tell my old man - ‘cos I understandably thought he wouldn’t listen to me - he accepted it without a problem. Told everyone that I’d always been his son, and nobody was to question it.” A pause. “Granted, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>was, </span>
  </em>
  <span>like, a month before I </span>
  <em>
    <span>spectacularly </span>
  </em>
  <span>screwed everything up and got exiled, but…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell did you even </span>
  <em>
    <span>do, </span>
  </em>
  <span>for your own dad to kick you out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well....” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zeke grinned. “I awoke Pandoria without permission, got this sweet eyepatch, and went wandering for the final time in his books.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait - </span>
  <em>
    <span>without </span>
  </em>
  <span>permission?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah." Zeke thudded his chest with his fist and coughed. "The </span>
  <em>
    <span>royal </span>
  </em>
  <span>Blade of Tantal," he began, voice haughty - in an imitation of the king's, Nia soon realised. "...will </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>be awakened by any royalty until the age of eighteen. It matters not if I cannot resonate with a Core Crystal, and my </span>
  <em>
    <span>shellhead—" </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nia cackled— "of a son </span>
  <em>
    <span>can. </span>
  </em>
  <span>This tradition has been obeyed for </span>
  <em>
    <span>five! Hundred! YEARS!" </span>
  </em>
  <span>He swept his arm out dramatically with each sentence, making Nia increasingly giggle with how </span>
  <em>
    <span>ridiculous </span>
  </em>
  <span>he looked. "And will continue to be obeyed, even though it means we currently have no way of controlling Genbu and could all suffocate to death any time he feels like taking a wee dive in the Cloud Sea!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Wow, great impression!" Nia applauded. "Felt like I was gettin' lectured by His Royal Stuffiness himself!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Aye, well, Architect knows I've spent long enough listening to him." Still, despite his words, Zeke was grinning at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"... Seriously </span>
  </em>
  <span>though? He was that stuck on tradition even though it was a huge risk to yer people?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yep." Zeke crossed his arms. "He always hadda be careful when he was salvaging back in the day. If he touched a Core Crystal… lights out for him. And, </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe </span>
  </em>
  <span>me, all of his siblings would be even worse rulers than he is."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia shivered. "Don't make me imagine </span>
  <em>
    <span>that!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeke guffawed. After his laughter died off, they fell into an amicable silence, the kind where you didn’t have to worry about keeping up appearances. Where you could be as quiet as you wanted, and nobody cared. It was… pleasant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia let herself continue through the clothing—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Ohhhh,</span>
  </em>
  <span> this one's pretty nice."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled out a dress with a grin. It was in typical Tantalese fashion, with puffy sleeves and a skirt jutting out from the waistline, along with a sash that hung in front of it. It looked warm and cosy, like she could put it on and instantly fall asleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The corner of her eye didn't miss Zeke suddenly stiffening. It was for less than a second, and he quickly forced himself back into his previously slack pose before, but Nia’s sharp eyes missed very little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...Something wrong?" she asked, lowering it to look at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nah, nothin' in particular," he muttered, a hand resting next to his eyepatch. The turtle pattern on it was stark in the room's bright artificial light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're a shite liar, Zeke." She turned to him. "You don't hafta tell me, but don't act like nothin's bothering you when it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave a chuckle, eye darting away, but it wasn’t a kind noise. It was the type of sound she was more used to hearing from somebody like </span>
  <em>
    <span>Malos, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not - not Zeke. Her chest tightened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>bloody obvious, am I?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Naaaaah.” Nia wiped her nose. “Just to your family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeke looked up at her, not quite smiling, not quite frowning. He looked lost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's…" He glanced away with a sigh. "I lost my eye when I was wearin' that. It's not the nicest memory, I've gotta admit. That's all."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yer </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?" </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nia leaned forward in surprise. "Pandoria was always prattlin' on about how you were too poor to afford the contacts you kept on losin'!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I mean, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>keep on losing 'em!" Zeke cried with an outwards thrust of his arm. "Wearin' glasses with an eyepatch is a tad much, even for me!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So… you don't wear it because of that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nah." He gave an uneasy laugh. "Got one whopper of a wound on it. Eye’s useless.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...Oh." What could she say to that, really?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't go tellin' the others, though!" He tried to wink, even though it just looked like he was taking a long blink. "I've got a certain reputation to uphold, yeah?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"As what, a dumbass? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fine."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nia rolled her eyes. "But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>should, </span>
  </em>
  <span>y'know. I know none of 'em would look down on you for it, or mind."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How long had she spent living in fear, her heart gripped by terror’s claws, that her new family would abandon her as soon as they </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She’d spent all of this time suffocating on her own fear of abandonment, had let people like Vandham and Fan </span>
  <em>
    <span>die… </span>
  </em>
  <span>all because she had been too afraid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And when she had finally had enough and bared her heart to them - </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is who I am, this is </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>what </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>I am! - </span>
  </em>
  <span>all they had done was smile and say that they would always love her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia shut her stinging eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not for the first time, and not for the last time, she wondered just what she had done to deserve this. To deserve </span>
  <em>
    <span>them.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But maybe… maybe it wasn’t about deserving. Some things just </span>
  <em>
    <span>were. </span>
  </em>
  <span>People still loved her, even if she couldn’t understand why.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hoped, one day, that she would.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hoped they knew how much she loved them too. Each and every single one of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know, I know…" Zeke sighed, sounding as if this was far from the first time he'd had this conversation. "One day, I swear."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blinking her blurry eyes open, Nia turned the dress over in her hands and swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t know what she was looking for, really - a speck of blood, perhaps, or a tear or rip. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Some </span>
  </em>
  <span>kind of mark from what had happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But there was nothing at all. It was unblemished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>that bad?” Nia mused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t look at him; she didn’t dare to, not with that icy chill in his voice. The clinking of the dress’s hanger against the railing was a deafening sound in the silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Well,” she murmured, “pretty or not, it ain’t exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>suitable </span>
  </em>
  <span>for a day splashin’ in the water. Mind if I take a further look?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She dared to glance back, then, and saw the visible relief wash over Zeke’s face. People were allowed to have secrets, things they didn’t want to talk about, and Architect knew he’d talked more about himself today already than he ever had before. Nia didn’t want to be an arse and keep on pushing. They had all waited for her own secrets, her own past and fears. She could wait for all of Zeke’s, no bother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course! I didn’t bring you here to gloat to you and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>let you have any.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any at all?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Thanks, Zeke,” she said with a soft smile. This guy, as idiosyncratic and boisterous as he was, was just as much a family as everybody else in their peculiar little group was. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay </span>
  </em>
  <span>to let her guard down, to allow herself to be kind. She wouldn’t be hurt. Not by these people.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He cracked a tentative smile, the bed creaking as he slouched on it. It was nothing like the usual grins that accompanied his raucous laughter and ridiculous feats. It was softer, kinder, far more genuine and suitable for his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>say </span>
  </em>
  <span>take as many as you want, but…” Zeke scratched his neck. “Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite </span>
  </em>
  <span>sure how you’d haul ‘em with you everywhere we go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh.” Nia continued pulling back the hangers, one after the other. The repetitive, quiet sound of them hitting one another was almost hypnotic. “How ‘bout this, eh? After we find Elysium, I’ll help ya move this stuff there, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>then </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’ll snag whatever I want.” She turned around with a grin. “That sound good?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds bloody fantastic, mate!” He flashed her a thumbs-up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Heh. It sure does.” She went back to the closet, and then— “Oi! I found somethin’!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nia tugged a dress out. It was in a Gormotti style, a simple bright yellow with fabric gentler than fresh grass. She held it out in front of her from one of its thin shoulder straps, and watched its creased skirt dangle</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>looks comfy and suitable. Whatcha think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She held it out. Zeke bounced off from the bed and pretended to look thoughtful. He crouched down in front of it, peering over every inch carefully, </span>
  <em>
    <span>oohing </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>ahhing </span>
  </em>
  <span>to himself. Nia had to resist both the urge to flap it in his face and to smile, and failed miserably at the latter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By the </span>
  <em>
    <span>great </span>
  </em>
  <span>eye of the Zekenator—” He jumped up suddenly and thrust a hand out— “I deem this garment to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect </span>
  </em>
  <span>for you, Nia!” He rested a hand over his chin. “It’s a bit plain, perhaps, but I’ve always loved the colour. Shouldn’t be difficult to add a couple of wee things to it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that sounds good.” Nia turned it around, grinning to herself. Her Core Crystal would be on full display, that mesh of bloody red and blue she used to hate seeing so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>much… but, around these guys, she didn’t mind so much if it was visible. “Thanks again, Zeke. I’d be right up shit creek with no paddle without yer help!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any time, Nia!” He ruffled her hair with a gigantic grin and skimmed away from her playful slap. “Wanna go back to the inn?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Nah, not just yet.” She shoved the dress’s hanger into Zeke’s surprised arms. “I wanna look at your stuff for a bit longer. You’re a pretty swell guy, y’know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah…” He blinked rapidly, the hint of a blush reddening his ears. “...Thanks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yer welcome!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chuckling, Zeke sat back down on the edge of the bed, watching as Nia tore through his old wardrobe. Turters crawled out onto his palm and curled up, beginning to snooze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zeke had always thought it would have been nice to have not been an only child, to have had some sort of sibling growing up. Now, he had more siblings than he could count, and a family stranger than anything he had ever imagined in his childhood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And neither he, nor Nia, would have had it any other way.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>just to anyone who somehow did not realise: yes, nia and zeke are trans. nia is also pan and zeke is aroace, but that's for another time babey!!<br/>and yes, nia’s described outfit is her swimsuit outfit because it’s absolutely adorable. you’re welcome</p>
<p>i have a <a href="https://twitter.com/greenpiggles">twitter</a> if you want to see me cry EVEN MORE over this game!!</p>
<p>if you enjoyed the fic, please consider leaving kudos and/or a comment!! thank you so much, and i hope you have a lovely day! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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